Newsfeed

Category : Accreditation News

​June 9 marks World Accreditation Day 2017 which is celebrated annually in order to raise global awareness of the importance of accreditation activities. This year’s focus will be on how accreditation delivers confidence in construction and the built environment. Look for more information in the coming weeks about how AIHA LAP will celebrate this day.

​Now microbiology labs performing quantitative work using PCR and related analyses can be accredited for these molecular techniques under AIHA LAP’s Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program (EMLAP). This will give laboratories involved in these cutting-edge microbiological techniques a chance to demonstrate that they are technically competent and have quality management systems in place. The new PCR field of testing (FoT) is available for EMLAP labs testing any microbiological analyte that is detected by PCR, qPCR or ELISA techniques. For more information on EMLAP accreditation or assistance in completing a PCR FoT application, please contact the AIHA-LAP staff.

​AIHA LAP is pleased to announce that its accreditation symbols, which are used by accredited laboratories, have been updated. The symbols have a new design with different but related color palettes for each program. To review the new accreditation symbols and information regarding their use, please review the addendum to Policy Module 7 which can be found in the policy section of LLC’s website at http://www.aihaaccreditedlabs.org/Policies/Pages.

​AIHA-LAP is pleased to announce that Dixie Marlin has officially joined the Site Assessor ranks having undergone and successfully passed all required training.

Dixie has considerable experience with organic chemistry and microbiology, industrial hygiene analyses, metals, wet chemistry analyses, environmental lead, asbestos by PCM, PLM and TEM, aquatic toxicity, cryptosporidium/giardia, mold and various specialty analyses. She began her career with the University of Kentucky, Department of Agronomy, then moved to the UK Regulatory Services Department supporting the state’s agricultural regulatory program. She later served in a position in soil chemistry research at the University of Cincinnati, Center Hill Research Facility (a Superfund site.) Dixie also worked for DataChem Laboratories-Cincinnati, as a GC/MS Chemist then as a QA/QC Coordinator; for Environmental Science Corporation as a Technical Specialist/QC Manager; and, for Accutest Laboratories, Inc. as a Functional Validation Manager.

Dixie now owns and operates a consulting company performing various supporting activities in commercial laboratory operations. She is an EPA approved drinking water assessor for organics and Cryptosporidium. Dixie is also an approved assessor for at least one other accreditation body. Welcome Dixie!

​Please note that the NIOSH Method for analyzing diacetyl (Method 2557) is now considered historical and is "no longer recommended for use" by NIOSH due to problems with humidity and an underestimation of true concentrations. Beginning January 30, 2017, AIHA-LAP will start to remove NIOSH Method 2557 from all scope pages of its IHLAP-accredited laboratories where it may be included. For more information on this Method and AIHA-LAP’s plans to remove it from our laboratories’ IHLAP scope pages, please contact AIHA-LAP offices.

​Longtime AIHA
LAP Site Assessor, Maureen Hamilton, announced last year that she would retire
at the end of 2016. We just learned that Maureen completed her last assessment
for the year. Once she wraps up the assessments’ findings, she will be
officially retired. AIHA LAP staff joins volunteers, fellow Site Assessors and
the hundreds of labs Maureen has assessed in thanking her for her dedication,
commitment and plain hard work over the years. More information is forthcoming
about how we will honor Maureen and celebrate her retirement in 2017, including
at AIHce 2017 in Seattle. In the meantime, feel free to sendMaureen an email at mkhamilt@LIVE.COM congratulating her and
wishing her well on her retirement.

​AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC released revised Accreditation Policies on its website at www.aihaacreditedlabs.org on August 3, 2016 that became effective October 3, 2016. Effectively immediately, all currently accredited and applicant labs should use the most recent Accreditation Application and will be assessed to the 2016 Policies. Contact Olena Bulgakova at obulgakova@aiha.org if you have questions about the policies or need a copy of the updated Site Assessor Checklist.

​Due to upgrades in our data management system, AIHA Laboratory
Accreditation Programs’ invoices will be sent out a little later this year than
in prior years. The 2017 invoices for AIHA-LAP accredited labs will
be generated in December 2016 vs. the month of October. We greatly
appreciate our laboratories’ patience while this upgrade takes place.
For billing assistance or more information about the 2017 invoices,
contact Anthony Hodge at ahodge@aiha.org
or at (703) 846-0796.

​RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
will host AIHA LAP’s next Analytical Accreditation Board (AAB) meeting at its
facilities on Monday, November 14. The meeting will conclude with a tour
of RTI’s facilities on Tuesday, November 15. RTI is an accredited
AIHA-LAP laboratory and an accredited provider of proficiency samples including
those for lead, asbestos and beryllium under the AIHA-PAT Programs. For
more information on RTI, go to https://www.rti.org/

​On July 27, 2016, the EPA issued a final rule to implement the 2010 Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act which added Title VI to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA.) The Act established limits for formaldehyde emissions from certain composite wood products sold, supplied, offered for sale, or manufactured (including imported) in the United States. The EPA final rule includes major laboratory testing requirements. For more information, go to: go.usa.gov/xYVNJ​